Via TwoSides, a 2010 report (actually a Masters Thesis), called Barriers and Incentives to Ecological Modernization: “SME Printing Firms: accidental environmentalists,” written by Phillip Lawrence at the University of Technology Sydney looked at the state of environmentally responsible printing in SMEs (small and midsize enterprises). Hoisted from the conclusions:

The two research projects, one by Simpson, Barker and Taylor (2004) and the other by Masurel (2007) are critical of the printing industry for the lack of training, lack of management skill and the SME printing firm’s lack of innovation. These factors have been noted by others as being key reasons why SMEs in general fail to engage in environmental business practices. My research has revealed that in addition to these limitations the printing industry is also male dominated, populated almost totally by craftsman typology firms and also experience very little in the way of stakeholder pressure to change the way they do business in regard to the environment.

Wow—that is a totally foreign country! Anyway, Mr. Lawrence goes on to imply that it may be a moot point:

It could be the case that it doesn’t really matter if individual SMEs embrace environmental performance or not, because the research reveals there are processes occurring at the macro-level of the industry, over which SME printing firms have little or no control.

Such as? Well, here’s the money quote:

The result is that the printing industry may be significantly less damaging to the environment in 2007 than it was in the Kyoto base year 1990, (United Nations, 1998) as a direct result of the many new technologies. The actual reduction of the impact on the environment due to new technologies used by small printing companies has not been measured in my research. It would be an important aspect of a future research project.

It would be. But on a gut level, I’d be inclined to agree. In particular, the gradual erosion of prepress away from film (or even platemaking) has had a positive environmental impact, just by dint of eliminating the need for all those hazardous chemicals that had been involved. Not that new technologies are always more environmentally friendly per se, but elimination of waste, less reliance on chemistry, and a general increase in efficiency all are good for the environment. This hearkens back to comments from our Environmental Innovation Award winners, that being sustainable and environmentally friendly is efficient and good for business. Here we have research saying the same basic thing, but in reverse. You say potato... TwoSides says that this research is bring followed up on, and it will be interesting to see what further investigation turns up, be it in Australia or even closer to home.